


Next on the list

by chlopollo



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Drowning, F/F, Oh, Spies, and would-be-victim, but it's only mentioned, more like spy, sorta - Freeform, type thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-29
Updated: 2014-10-29
Packaged: 2018-02-23 04:12:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2533721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chlopollo/pseuds/chlopollo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Natasha gets given her next target through an envelope left on the table of the cafe she frequently visits. </p><p>This time when she visits, the name 'Pepper Potts' is inside.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Next on the list

On the corner of Brisburn Street a small, quiet café is often frequented by the same young woman. The staff don’t know her name; they don’t truly know what she looks like- her regular attire when she entered the café was a long green jacket and a yellow hat that covered her hair and shielded her face. They do know, however, to keep the table closest to the door empty on Tuesday and Saturday afternoons.  
  
The bell on the door chimes as it opens, creaking when the aged door hinges protest. A moment later the clock chimes eight and a woman is sitting at the closest table. With the exception of a crème envelope, the table is bare.. This is quickly remedied when a waiter quickly brings over the woman’s usual order of black coffee. As she waits for the drink to cool, she picks up the envelope, knowing what she would find written on it. In red ink, a name is elegantly scrawled across the front, reflecting against the light in such a way that it appeared to be written in fresh blood.  
                                                “ _Natalia_ _”  
_ The name changes each week, a way of making sure that no one quite knows who she is. Over the top though it may be, her boss had always been a sucker for being too safe. Natalia takes a quick sip of her coffee, ignoring the burn it leaves on her tongue and rips the envelope open.  Inside sits a simple piece of paper with two things written inside; a name and a method.

 

The wind whistles and the lights radiating from the houses that line the empty street highlight the street. Natalia stands partially hidden; a nearby streetlamp highlights the redness of her hair against her pale skin and the darkness of her outfit. Two doors down from where she’s standing, a harried ginger rushes into her home, almost dropping her keys on the way in. Stalking closer, Natalia waits until she can hear the quiet hum of the water pipes working before she enters the house. Inside, the sounds of a running bath are louder and are joined by the owner’s voice singing along to whatever music she had playing in the bath room.  
Natalia quietly shut the door behind her and looks up at the ceiling considering. The letter she had been given had simply said ‘accident’- leaving her with a lot of lee-way. Cutting the brakes on the car would be the simplest way to do it, but she had always been fond of making sure that people saw her as she did her work. It was the only time she could truly show of her skill set.  
The singing above cuts off, replaced by the sounds of her entering the bath. This was her cue. She had watched this woman for almost a week, familiarising herself with her routine. In less than 10 minutes the ginger would be totally relaxed and half asleep in the bath. Slipping up the stairs silently was almost a challenge. The house was old and the stairs were prone to crying out when they had to hold any wait, but practice had ensured that it would only be a minor problem.  
Humming could be heard the closer to the bathroom Natalia reached, the door having been left wide open. Outside the bathroom, she took a moment to look in and watch the woman. The only information she had received before this that she hadn’t collected herself was her name. _Pepper Potts_. Natalia says the name silently was she studied the woman before her, the name curling on her tongue as she familiarised herself with it. Moments later she entered the bathroom and grabbed Pepper’s head, dunking it suddenly under the water.

Two days later saw Natalia returning to the café. This time she allows the staff to see her. With her hair down and light jacket on, if any of them were ever asked, they would be able to pick her out in a line up. A crème envelope was once again on her table, but she ignored and accepted the coffee which was brought over to her with a smile.  
“Thank you.” Despite being a regular in the café for almost a year, this was the first time any of the staff had ever been thanked. “May I also have a mocha? I have a friend arriving in a moment.”  
Moments later the bell of the door chimed, indicating another guest. Natalia looked up and beamed as a ginger woman entered through the doors.  
“If I had known you liked obscure cafes, I may have reconsidered meeting you.” The woman joked as she sat down across from her.   
The waiter returned with a Mocha and set it in front of the ginger, staring at her in surprise. “Thanks.” She said, shooting him a wink.  
“Should I be worried you’re going to leave me, Pepper?” Natalia joked, smirking faintly as she shooed the waiter away.  
“Of course not, Natasha. Why would I give up the excitement of being with the woman who was sent to kill me?”


End file.
